UN: El Niño to Significantly Intensify in Coming Months, Persist Through February

The United Nations World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has warned that the El Niño weather phenomenon will significantly intensify in the coming months and continue through February of next year. According to the organization's forecast, the event will reach its peak by the end of this year.

El Niño itself is not caused by climate change, but scientists expect it to further amplify global warming and increase the likelihood of extreme weather events. Heat accumulated in the oceans is gradually being released into the atmosphere, meaning elevated temperatures could persist into next year as well.

Could Become the Strongest on Record

According to the WMO's latest data, El Niño has already intensified and is expected to keep gaining strength, potentially becoming exceptionally powerful. WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo said that if the current trend continues, this El Niño could turn out to be the strongest ever observed — effectively going beyond the scale used in the past forty years of measurements.

WMO specialists will continue monitoring the phenomenon's development, as its effects could influence weather patterns worldwide.